Protective effect of soybean against hepatocarcinogenesis induced by DL-ethionine.

There has been increasing interest in the value of using soybean to delay or reduce the tumor incidence. This study was undertaken to investigate the possible protective effects of soybean against hepatocarcinogenesis induced by DL-ethionine. Accordingly, we measured biochemical changes occurring in serum and liver of rats treated with DL-ethionine in the presence or absence of soybean. Male albino rats were fed a control diet containing the hepatocarcinogen, DL-ethionine, or the control diet plus soybean 30%, or the control diet plus soybean plus DL-ethionine 0.25% for three months and then returned to a control diet for up to nine months. Rats fed a control diet plus DL-ethionine showed a gradual decrease in liver DNA, RNA, total protein, and liver weight and enzyme activities of liver transaminases (GOT and GPT) and alkaline phosphatase over the 7-month study period. This was followed by a large increase in the liver parameters at the end of the 9(th) month, except for 5'-nucleotidase and glucose-6-phosphatase that showed a large decrease. On the other hand, a gradual increase in the serum enzyme activities of GOT, GPT, 5-nucleotidase, alkaline phosphatase, and in the albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio is observed in the group of rats fed a control diet plus DL-ethionine compared to the control group over 8 months, and this was followed by a large increase in all serum parameters studied at nine-months. The administration of 30% soybean to the rat diet in addition to DL-ethionine maintained all parameters studied at near control values until the end of the 9(th) month. This study suggests that soybean has a protective effect against the hepatocarcinogenesis induced by DL-ethionine.

Serum lipids and tissue DNA content in Egyptian female breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Several clinical studies suggest the prognostic significance of serum lipid levels and tissue DNA content in breast cancer. In the course of investigating the biological features of this disease among Egyptian female patients, we examined the serum lipid levels and tissue DNA content of premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer patients. METHODS: Levels of total lipid, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured in the sera of women with breast cancer and compared with those of the control women. The DNA content in breast cancer tissue was also measured in these patients. RESULTS: Total lipid levels showed a significant increase in both premenopausal (follicular and luteal) and postmenopausal patients. Total cholesterol levels significantly increased in premenopausal (follicular and luteal) patients with no significant change in postmenopausal women. Triglyceride levels showed a significant increase in postmenopausal women, whereas no significant differences were observed in premenopausal patients. Tumors of premenopausal patients, in both follicular and luteal phases, showed a higher DNA content as compared with those of postmenopausal patients. Breast cancer tissues of grade III showed significantly higher DNA content than those of grade I and grade II. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests an association between high levels of serum, total lipid and total cholesterol, and increased breast cancer risk in premenopausal women. Such an association is also suggested for the high total serum lipid and triglyceride levels in postmenopausal women. The DNA content in breast cancer tissue might be useful in determining a suitable therapy for individual cases, based on the malignancy grade.